Datacom center energy use is typically large and concentrated (it can be 100 times the watts per square foot of an office building), with operations running 24 hours, 7 days a week, about three times the annual operating hours of most commercial properties.

As a result, issues such as sustainable design, energy efficiency and operating cost become critically important for these facilities.

The book provides a listing of best practices in the areas of environmental criteria, mechanical equipment and systems, economizer cycles, airflow distribution, HVAC controls and energy management, electrical distribution equipment, datacom equipment efficiency, liquid cooling, total cost of ownership and emerging technologies.

The book is part of the ASHRAE Datacom Series, developed to provide a more comprehensive treatment of datacom cooling and related subjects. The cost of Best Practices for Datacom Facility Energy Efficiency is $59 (ASHRAE members, $47). To order, visit ASHRAE at www.ashrae.org/bookstore.